Tick, Tock (Day 31)
So the sun is slowly setting on my camino journey. After today I have three more days of walking with 69Km (nice) left to go, so about 42 miles. To be frank, it’s getting weird. I’m really not sure how I feel about it being nearly over. I think I’ll have more feelings in a couple of days. Right now the hike itself is getting weird due to the new atmosphere. I’m adjusting better and met a couple of nice new walkers this evening at my hostal. The walk today was an easy 16 miles and through the hills and woods.
Aforementioned hills
Aforementioned woods
While the hike was lovely, for the first time since the beginning I was just concentrating on getting it done. I was focused on getting to my destination and not on the trail and sights themselves. This is a radical change from the last few weeks. I suspect it was because of the crowds and familiarity of the terrain. Also, while I’m still enjoying walking I am counting down the days before MIchele meets me in Santiago. She flies out tomorrow on her way here and I’m more than excited.
I did however stop to look at this church, so I didn’t totally ignore my surroundings
i did have a few funny moments today while taking breaks at bars on the way (to reiterate, bars are what they call the cafes on the camino. I’m not constantly stopping and drinking on the way - but at this point it’s tempting). I overheard one lady telling her group that the long distance camino hikers sometimes PIN THEIR WET SOCKS TO THEIR BACKPACKS AND HIKE WITH THEM THAT WAY TO DRY OUT. At this point two of the three of us sitting at our table next to them had socks pinned to our packs. Two of us also had their shoes off at the table. Tomorrow I will be pinning my underwear to my pack just to give the folks something to talk about (and because they never dry all the way and I wouldn’t recommend them - gear review post to follow). Also, a long distance lady hiker informed her trail friends, while they were all talking about their various maladies - a favorite topic of pilgrim discussion - that she had “manageable diarrhea”. I immediately thought two things when I heard this:
That is the kind of classic camino overshare that you only hear after a lot of days on the trail together. There’s no way she would make mention of that at lunch with her work friends.
I’ve found the name for my new jazz trio.
I’m currently doing my final load of camino trail laundry. After this I should have enough to get me to Santiago. I will also be pinning those underoos to my backpack in the morning. Some of the newer pilgrims have pinned their countries flag to their packs. Consider this my flag. I’m a proud member of the “been walking for 500 miles and stopped giving a shit about 350 miles ago” nation. Also, our national anthem is Achy Breaky Heart. It’s catchy and Billy Ray is makinga comeback.
Some pictures from the hike:
Laziest guard dog ever (there actually was a guard dog sign up).
Cutest guard dog ever.
There’s always hills. Even when they say there aren’t going to be hills, there are hills.
